Walking in LA, Venice & the Great Escape
When it's too hot in the dust bowl of the Vegas valley, the CA coast and LA jungle are calling...
Living on the edge is a perk. We are a minute from state line and can be in another state in merely a few hours, whether it's Arizona or California. So, one long weekend we gave old' blue a rest and rented an average, yet powerful car to take us away.
There's nothing really to do on your way out of the valley besides drive. UNLESS want to take some back roads to the Pioneer Saloon for a pint and some characters.
Photo: @pioneersaloonnevada
Art installation by Ugo Rondinone, Seven Magic Mountains, is also on your way in or out of Vegas, if majestic stacks of rainbow boulders is your thing.
Places to stay in Hollywood are a pretty penny on any given weekend. So, we went the scrappy route and stayed in somewhat art deco motel, walkable to the Hollywood Bowl and downtown. Despite the crumbling staircase, we unknowingly booked a "VIP suite" (loosely termed), which looked like a decent sized one bedroom apartment overlooking our swampy pool. Shit, if this was for rent, where do I sign??
Photo: Highland Gardens Hotel
Every time I come here, I'm mystified. Downtown Hollywood is situated under a gateway, similar to the Arch de Triumph, engraved with Egyptian hieroglyphics and symbology. In the hills near Sunset, the celebrity Scientology Center is hidden behind groves of designer hedges, where we wonder what goes on behind closed doors.. recruiting for New World Order? Just around the corner is Toi on Sunset, our favorite gem for Thai food, complete with rock and roll interior.
For those that know a few pop songs and are not so swayed by them... Weird Al Yankovic will transport you to relatable scenarios, in tune with such classics like "Eat It" (Beat It, Michael Jackson), "Foil", (Royals, Lorde), & "Party in the CIA" (Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus). We were fortunate to be walking distance from the Hollywood Bowl, where Weird Al played with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. Bowl = surrounded by hills = great acoustics.
In the jungle canopy...
Sooo... the Weird Al hangover and recovery happened all at the best hipster-avocado toast-fad-24-hour restaurant out in Los Feliz. Ladies & gentlemen... Fred 62. Amazingly... there was something comparable to pho, Noo Deli soup. Boom. After regurgitating orange juice in their jail cell bathroom... spicy lemongrass broth & glass noodles save the day!
Photo: Timeout Los Angeles
VENICE BEACH
Fully recovered and ready we got away from the LA traffic and ventured to Venice Beach for a walk about. With one day, we knew this is where our holidays would be spent. Cold pressed juice alcoves in the alley, one after another boutiques of graphic tees, nooks for booze and food, and crazy hippies stuck in their past.
And unnecessarily craft coffee shops surround this intersection.
Hungover beach cat..
And street art inspired by the munchies...
We walked and shopped for our new beach front home and met shroomed out locals with connections to every coast-front business. Stopped into a rock 'n roll/ Hawaiian dive bar Hinano Cafe, known for their expensive PBR and across the street to turn of the century speakeasy Townhouse Cocktails for whisky on rocks.
Later we rendezvoused at Cha Cha for shots and more PBR... Until the hipster butterflies came out of hiding.
Photo: joeyng
"We're so fucked.." -Stu comments. Once the crows grew thick, it was time to get the hell out of there. Escape to a German pub across the street to wait for a cab, which have been completely depleted by the Uber takeover.
THE GREAT ESCAPE
Despite our trip getting cut short, (minus Palm Springs in the dead of summer), we gunned it out of LA and headed for our halfway point. Baker, CA to visit the Aliens (Alien Fresh and the World's Largest Thermometer)
We now know our end goal. Vacationing or holidays in Venice while we sublet in Vegas. California continues to call me: that I need to live there for some period of time at some point in my existence. Until then, I'm just gonna leave this sexy picture of me eating pizza as big as my face.
xx Coco
I love this place. I had an event here back in May last year and I felt like it was a perfect day for us! The event venue Atlanta provides you with an event Specialist as part of your package which is extremely helpful. Plus all of us dressed up only added to the entire ambience.
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